Larry A. Smail's Blog

Foggy Morning

I was listening intently from a field’s edge. The heavy fog wasn’t causing any slack in “bird music”. The warblers, cardinals and even the blue jays were all in great tune. However, the gobbler music was absent. I slowly walked along listening and even called a few times. NOTHING!

I walked back towards the car to see if any other hunters were around and I couldn’t see any cars . Just then I heard it… a gobble!  I heard the second and the bird was across the road on a familiar point. I circled his position to eliminate any chance of him seeing my approach from below. The big bird was silent.

Crow in the fog

I, once again, circled further around and heard him gobbling once more  but the gobble was muffled.  I set up along the hill’s ridge and I never heard another “peep” from him. Turkeys are known for such behavior. I sensed he was “henned up” again.

After a spell I crossed the road again and began a short tour around the hill to try to stir up a gobbler with loud calls. The morning was quiet.   

I saw three deer; some squirrels; heard grouse drumming on his log; pileated woodpecker; ‘coon and a hen turkey. I quit early for I had to play gospel music later on near the community of Corsica in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. And I had some chores around the house to do too.

I have been having difficulties placing photos on my journal/ blog site here. Please, bear with me until repairs are made.

The skies were illuminated often and the rumbles of thunder were prevalent as I trekked up the slope to where I hoped to hear a gobbler. This was May 3. The lessening rains began to become stronger and I wondered how nuts one needs to be to be stumbling around in such conditions. My woodcock friend from an earlier morning didn’t seem to care about the weather. Shortly, the warblers and cardinals too would be singing.

I reached the road and the rains lessened again. Back up the hill once again for me. I reached the top ans settled on a stump when I heard two gobbles across the big hollow..across the road .. and high on that hill. Off I go!

Of course, once I reached the area I believed the gobblers were all I heard was silence. I approached a field and waited. Here I saw two deer and watched a hen turkey feed for over an hour. I was blessed to watch a brown thrasher and towhees in and around the vegetation.

I made a circle, all the while  calling  and failed to stir up any gobblers. Where were they? I was walking about near to where the field is when a flock of crows angered by a hawk forced a gobbler to respond. I moved in and later received a gobble to my calling. The time was after 10:00!

I heard the next gobble way down the hill near to the road and all was silent. later, I walked towards my vehicle and could hear people talking. This may be the reason why the bird became so quiet. I left the camera in the car due to threats of rain and I missed some great bird photos!

I stopped at my old homestead to visit. Bob had said earlier I wouldn’t be hunting today. Mom corrected Bob for she knew how her son thinks when spring gobbler hunting is on his mind.

The gobblers began to shout in an enclosed non-huntable area. A third gobblers sounded off one time and I began heading downslope when a fourth tom began about 100 yards from me along a round top. I quickly circled around and set up above him. he left his roost and gobbled occasionally. AT one point, he was only about 40-50 yards from me, but the multiflora rose patches always keep the bird from coming to my calling.  This particular area has had similar scenarios in the past with gobblers within range, but with my inability to see them. The birds eventually tire and exit the round top.

Multiflora rose…ouch!

I started to circle him as the bird crossed a hollow and went up and over the next ridge. BAM!!! Turkey hunters always hate to hear shots that are not their own!

I started the return trip and could see a gobbler and hen way across a hollow in a field. This is another difficult place to hunt them. I elected to go back to the areas I had been hunting. I saw a buck and three other deer, some squirrels , grouse and rose-breasted grosbeaks.

I exited the car and immediately heard a gobble way across the hollow. I took off! I cautiously approached the area where the gobbling was and failed to hear anymore. I called and nothing! I slowly walked along the ridge calling and found very fresh bear sign. I wonder if the bear scared the gobbler???? I saw a jake walk across a field later on before quitting for the morning.

April 28th, 2012 was the first day of the spring gobbler season. Bob, my step father and I drove separately to meet up later. I walked out a ridge to listen.

  The pre-dawn time is a special time of anticipation for the turkey hunter. I heard leaves rustling. I was concerned another hunter may be approaching, but my turn erupted with a loud snort. The deer didn’t like my presence. I would see deer, off and on, throughout the morning. (The red-orange fur color of summer could be viewed on a couple of the deer.)

I could hear two barred owls calling, but they failed to force a gobbler to sound off. The two hunters, using owl calls couldn’t get the tom to announce his presence. But, he began to gobble on his own without the owl calls. I expected the hunters to head towards the gobbling. Another gobbler announced his presence below me and across a hollow. He and I talked occasionally until 7:30. I didn’t go after him for I could hear another hunter using a crow call and I elected to lay low until later.

Wormy Chestnut call by Lonnie Sneed w/cover.

I did see a hen, but I never saw or heard a gobbler after 7:30. Bob and I walked around calling some later on, but, we failed to shock a gobbler into gobbling, too.  

Today, the 30th, found me walking half a mile into the woods. I sat until 6:10 A.M. I heard my first gobble around 6:15 or so. I moved about fifty yards and set up, but the site was less than perfect. I didn’t have any options by this time, but to try to work the turkey. Soon, two gobblers  were calling and working the ridge towards Bob. I walked away from the gobblers only to have one begin gobbling closer to me. I set up again and the gobbler was closing in fast. I began calling and the lustful gobbling was only about fifty yards from  me. he was on an old logging road and the contour of the terrain kept a visual of him impossible.

Bob: FOR SALE!!

The bird went silent and I clucked and immediately answered. I could see a gobbler, then two then four coming to me. They were all jakes. ( Less than one year old gobblers.)  Two came within twenty yards of me and , at one point of time, I could have actually taken three birds with one shot! I decided to wait since the season is young. Later, Bob and I came back to try to stir them up. (I still don’t know if there were any longbeards with these young uns. The throaty gobbling sure sounded like a mature bird!)

Home-made Call strikers!

Bob went home and I circled around. I began cutting and was answered by a hen. (Cutting calls are sharp calls often heard by an agitated or excited turkey.) I managed some decent photos of her.

Hen

I walked an edge of a field with the thought of entering a pine tree area from a different angle. I peered over a rise in the field and saw a gobbler at about 70 yards. We eye-balled each other for a minute before the big bird went into the pines. He could only see the top of my head.

The morning was rapidly coming towards the noon quitting time. At 11:30, I was heading out only to see two longbeards and a hen. These birds were at the field’s edge too.  I called and was answered. I eased back and waited but the hen left the field followed by her boyfriends.

False Hellebro

I will try again tomorrow. My friends Frankie Maus and Randy Tost, both took gobblers. Congrats guys!  Let’s eat!